


fireworks

by glitch_writes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Art by Starlity, Collaboration, EnnoTana Week, M/M, Metaphors, POV Alternating, Prompt: Kiss, Rated T for language, The POV alternating is frequent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-20 23:45:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15544899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitch_writes/pseuds/glitch_writes
Summary: He loves the adrenaline high from being on stage, loves the on-the-spot interviews, loves meeting the fans dedicated enough to buy VIP tickets and sneaking off to meet the fans stuck in the back row that couldn’t afford better.He loves it all, but performance nights are fireworks to him, a crescendo of brilliant sparks and tumbling stars building up to the grand finale.When Ennoshita smiles at him as he enters his trailer, countless fireworks burst in his chest. “You’re here early.”-Every night after a show, singer/guitarist Tanaka returns to his trailer eagerly. Every night, the band's photographer, Ennoshita, massages his hands. Every night, Tanaka feels it - fireworks.





	fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> Art by [Starlity](http://starlity.tumblr.com/)! Collab for [EnnoTana Week](http://ennotana-week.tumblr.com), inspired by the rockstar scene in the collab we did for the EnnoTana Zine.  
> \----

The hours after a show drag on for a lifetime.

Ryuu loves that part, truly, he does. He loves the adrenaline high from being on stage, loves the on-the-spot interviews, loves meeting the fans dedicated enough to buy VIP tickets and sneaking off to meet the fans stuck in the back row that couldn’t afford better.

He loves it all, but performance nights are fireworks to him, a crescendo of brilliant sparks and tumbling stars building up to the grand finale.

When Ennoshita smiles at him as he enters his trailer, countless fireworks burst in his chest. “You’re here early.”

✺

To the masses, Tanaka is a god.

To Chikara, Tanaka is a man with sweaty hands and a nervous laugh. “I got a group of girls to distract Noya-san so I could run away before he dragged me to some party.” Tanaka’s voice is hoarse, a dry rumble that rolls warm in Chikara’s ears. “How’d you get in here? Thought I forgot to give you the key.”

Chikara stands up from the bed. The bed is a reflection of the trailer itself - cramped, messy, comfortable in its simplicity. It’s a reflection of its owner, too; soft, warm, nowhere Chikara would rather be. “I was a journalist before this, remember? I picked the lock.”

Tanaka’s laugh is worn but content. “Didn't know journalists were trespassers,” he remarks as he sits on the bed’s edge.

“They are when the scoop is good.” Chikara walks the short, cramped distance to the mini fridge beside the cluttered table his laptop sits on. “Why do you avoid Nishinoya’s parties?”

✺

Ryuu catches the water bottle Ennoshita tosses on instinct; from the stage till sleep, after a show he runs on nothing more than tired euphoria. He doesn’t even realize he’s drinking as he ponders Ennoshita’s question until the bottle’s mostly empty and his throat feels a little less like he swallowed sandpaper.

“Cause—” he begins, forgetting that talking while drinking doesn’t exactly work.

Spitting all over himself in front of his crush isn’t the most charming method of seduction, but Ennoshita shakes his head, that familiar fond exasperation curling his lips, and Ryuu’s reminded all over again why he likes the dorky photographer leagues above the supermodel-looking folks he’s surrounded by everyday.

Ryuu’s never had a place to truly call home before, but he imagines “home” is like the feeling Ennoshita gives him - stability, serenity, as if he’s always been there and always happily will be.

Ennoshita’s hot, too. So hot. His smiles drive Ryuu wild, and when he blushes? Forget it, Ryuu’s a goner. Then there was that time Ryuu saw him without a shirt on, and the bastard had the nerve to wink when he caught Ryuu gawking.

“With parties, it’s like...” he tries again, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, “...like playing that song that got you famous, ya know?”

✺

“Can’t say I’m familiar,” Chikara smirks, sitting beside Tanaka on the edge of the bed.

“Alright, smartass,” Tanaka laughs, some life coming back to his hoarse voice. “It’s the coolest shit in the world at first, right?” He places the mostly-finished water bottle on the ground by his feet. “You play the first note, and everyone’s already going nuts. But after you play the song a bajillion times, you never wanna hear it again.”

“It gets boring?”

“Kinda yeah, but there’s something else to it. It’s like, you feel guilty you don’t like it. And you wanna like it again. I got the best fans, and I feel like I’m cheating them out, and— you didn’t ask for this whole philosophical thing. Sorry ‘bout that,” Tanaka says, scratching the back of his neck.

“Don’t apologize. It’s interesting.” Chikara had expected something shallow, a simple ‘I’m too tired.’ Or, guiltily, he’d hoped for a—

“I’d rather be here with you, anyways,” Tanaka says with a bashful grin, watching Chikara from the corner of his eye.

It’s incredible how Tanaka transforms from his on-stage persona to the man Chikara sees behind closed doors. It isn’t accurate, though, to say he’s like two different people. He’s the same genuine artist with the same heart on his sleeve, weary and content after baring his soul to the world.

“So, uh, how’d tonight’s pics come out?” Tanaka cuts in quickly.

✺

“There’s not too many.” Knowing Ennoshita, that probably means there’s at least 856 pictures, but he only likes three. “I tried to capture when Nishinoya hit himself in the face with a drumstick, but he recovered so quickly.” Ennoshita scoots closer till their shoulders touch, grabbing the camera slung over his other shoulder.

“Damn, he’s good,” Ryuu remarks when the picture of Noya greets him; Noya’s already got a replacement drumstick in hand from his pouch of spares, the one that escaped his grasp still halfway in the frame. “I didn’t even hear it. He didn’t miss a beat.”

“It made me realize…” Ennoshita taps the ‘next’ button, giving a pause between each picture. “You’re all so skilled. I’ve noticed each of you make mistakes, but you recover before it affects the song. Trying to get a picture is harder than catching lightning.” He glances at Ryuu from the corner of his eye with a smug curl of his lips. “Except for that stage dive…”

“Don’t remind me. Betrayed by my own fans.” Ryuu covers his nose at the painful memory. “Did I ever tell you ‘bout the time Kiyoko-san smacked me with her guitar?”

“Did you deserve it?”

“Probably, but she did it on accident, you cheeky bastard.” Ryuu leans back, placing his arm behind Ennoshita just close enough for his forearm to brush Ennoshita’s back to test his boundaries. He never makes the first move; he knows he shouldn’t, he _can’t,_ no matter the signals Ennoshita gives. He has too much power and influence, and with it, too much responsibility. ‘Like Spiderman with a guitar,’ he often laughs, even though he’s killed the joke months ago. “It was back when we were recording the second album. She swung it over her shoulder during the drop out of habit, and bam, got me right in the face. Dislocated my nose and everything. Michimiya-san had to pop it back in place.”

“Your nose attracts trouble.” Ennoshita leans back, just enough for his back to touch Ryuu’s arm, and Ryuu’s never more certain he has it bad; he feels like every firework to ever exist is going off in his chest at once from Ennoshita just being kinda-sorta-not-really in his arm.

“Speaking of mild discomfort…” Ennoshita continues, taking Ryuu’s left hand in his, and Ryuu’s certain his heart is going to burst into flares, “how are your hands?”

His hands are fine; they always are. Over a decade and a half of playing guitar has built up calluses strong enough to touch a burning stovetop for half a second without flinching. He’s done so a few times on accident; cooking isn’t exactly his forte. And if his hands cramp up, he’s grown immune to it.

But to say so means missing out on his favorite part of the night. “Not bad, but your thing couldn’t hurt…”

“Uh huh,” Ennoshita replies slyly, but he’s already reaching for one of Ryuu’s plentiful rings - first, the signet ring with his band’s symbol that Noya had specially made for each of them - and sliding it off Ryuu’s index finger. “You played exceptionally tonight.”

“Cause I knew you were watching.”

✺

“Smooth answer for someone who just talked about dislocating noses,” Chikara hums, reaching for the ring Tanaka says is his favorite - pink, purple, and blue stripes that wrap around a thick band.

“What can I say? I’m a natural.”

“You _do_ have a natural charm.” Chikara takes the ring off Tanaka’s pinky finger slowly and places it on the side table beside with the other ring and his glasses. He’s grown fond of all of Tanaka’s jewelry; he hadn’t thought much of piercings before, but now he loves the eyebrow ring enough that he wonders how he’d look with one himself, and he catches himself daydreaming about kissing the trail of earrings down Tanaka’s left ear too many times a day. “Why don’t you wear anything on your ring finger?” he asks as he reaches for the puzzle ring on Tanaka’s middle finger.

“I’m, uh,” Tanaka does that thing again, avoiding Chikara’s gaze with a bashful grin pulling at his lips, “I’m saving that one. For someone special.”

“Oh? Do you have someone in mind?” Chikara hums as he takes off the thumb ring, delighting in Tanaka’s sputtering.

“Yea— No— Maybe?” Tanaka squeaks. “I— I got someone that I like, sorta, like a lot, and I—”

“Relax. I’m just teasing you,” he says, huffing a laugh. He knows full well the weight behind the empty finger. It’s far too soon to daydream about that being just for him, not when they haven’t done anything more than brushing shoulders and hand massages, but he can’t help the guilty, far off wishes that things could work out wonderfully enough to take that spot.

He presses his thumbs into Tanaka’s palm, slowly massaging his way up. He loves how rough Tanaka’s hands are, loves the proof of his dedication woven into his skin. “Is it hard to sing and play at the same time?”

“Only when we’re writing the songs. But once I got it down, it’s nothing.” Tanaka doesn't realize it - being respectful about distance is a priority of his - but he always leans forward ever so slightly when Chikara reaches the heel of his palm. He sighs, too, as Chikara firmly presses his thumbs against the skin and makes his way up to his wrist. “Singing while playing’s easier for me. Can’t do just one, or I zone out.”

“Was it like that when you first started playing?”

✺

“Ah, sorta? I’d kinda…” Ryuu lulls when Ennoshita reaches his forearm. He feels like he’s one giant cramp, and Ennoshita’s touch is melting him away. He wants to melt into him, lean against him and fall asleep in his arms.

“You kinda…?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, forgot what I was saying.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“That you’d make a good pillow,” Ryuu replies without thought, lost in the fingers caressing his own.

Ennoshita smiles, that airy smile that reminds Ryuu of clouds and cotton candy, and lets go of Ryuu’s hand with one of his.

Ennoshita cups the side of Ryuu’s neck, gently nudging, and Ryuu follows his lead to rest his head on Ennoshita’s shoulder.

This is it, Ryuu thinks. This is heaven. He can’t recall dying at any point of the night; maybe it was another embarrassing stage dive he decided to wipe from his final memory, or maybe his heart really did burst when Ennoshita grabbed his hand.

Ennoshita’s breath is calm, as soothing as his fingers massaging Ryuu’s palm. “Ready for the next hand?”

✺

The trailer is blissfully quiet. The excitement outside is muffled, the chatter and the clamour of the crew just beyond the window are worlds away.

The star has seemingly boundless energy - if it wasn’t for Michimiya cueing that it was time to wrap up with an ever-so-subtle punch to the gut, no doubt he would have tried for a fourth encore - but here, he’s completely still, his breathing slow and steady. He watches Chikara wordlessly, but his gaze isn’t on Chikara’s hands slowly sliding off more of his rings one by one; he’s watching Chikara’s face behind heavy lids, a sleepy smile pulling at his lips whenever their eyes meet.

Chikara wants to pick up his camera, wants to capture the tired, content gaze for him alone to experience over and over again. A picture would never be as blissful as the real thing, though, never worth disrupting it.

He’ll just have to give Tanaka hand massages every night for as long as Tanaka will let him, Chikara decides.

Tanaka sighs when Chikara presses his thumbs firmly against Tanaka’s palm, and it’s a lovely sound no one else gets to hear but him, a sweet melody that inspires him to take another step closer.

Tanaka gives a confused, defiant whine when Chikara lets go of his hands, but Chikara reassures him with a smile. “You’re tired.” He pulls his camera strap over his head and leans over to set the camera on a nearby chair. “Let’s lay down.”

✺

Ryuu follows his lead to lay down facing each other, and he wonders if Ennoshita can hear his heart pounding when Ennoshita takes his hand again.

The position isn’t convenient for the massage; it’s the hand closest to the bed, and Ennoshita’s clearly not used to the new angle.

But it leaves Ryuu’s other hand free.

He reaches up slowly, hand and heart alike stopping just before Ennoshita’s bangs. “This alright?”

“Yes,” Ennoshita whispers, holding Ryuu’s hand closer to his chest.

Ennoshita’s hair is as soft as he wondered, easily flowing with Ryuu’s fingers. Ryuu brushes the hair from Ennoshita’s forehead for a better view of those brown eyes he could look at forever, and then continues his trail, slowly running his fingers through Ennoshita’s hair.

If a few seconds or a lifetime roll by outside while they stay like that - soft hair between his fingers, pretty brown eyes watching his, soothing hands caressing his palm - Ryuu would never know. There’s nothing there in the trailer but them; the rest of reality is universes away.

Ennoshita brings Ryuu’s hand to his lips and kisses the heel of his palm.

Ennoshita is fireworks. Pyrotechnics in Ryuu’s heart, pop pop popping into countless stars, a galaxy of euphoria for Ryuu to float in.

Ennoshita closes his eyes for a moment, a content sigh escaping his lips before he opens his eyes and smiles at Ryuu again. “May I kiss you?”

It’s a struggle to catch his breath to respond, “Yeah. Yeah, _definitely_.”

✺

Chikara lets go of Tanaka’s hand with one of his to cup his jaw, and that’s when it hits him.

He may know the real Tanaka Ryuunosuke - the man off the stage, the man who stutters and blushes as easily as any of his fans and laughs too loudly any chance he gets.

But the reasons why millions of people are crazy about him are just as real. The singer the world knows is just as much Tanaka Ryuunosuke as the man gently watching Chikara.

He’d be larger than life even if he wasn’t famous, or a musician, Chikara thinks as he hesitates to close the distance. Tanaka is passionate, wild, breathtaking. Tanaka is—

“Something wrong?” Tanaka cups Chikara’s hand, concerned eyes flickering between Chikara’s.

“It’s just…” Chikara brushes his thumb over Tanaka’s cheekbone, “you could have anyone.”

✺

Ryuu blinks at him, head tilting at an angle against the pillow before the realization dawns on him.

‘Anyone,’ Ennoshita said.

‘Anyone,’ as if he’s just another face in a crowd. ‘Anyone,’ as if out of the countless songs Ryuu’s ever heard, Ennoshita’s name isn’t what he sings when nobody’s looking. ‘Anyone,’ as if out of all the colors imaginable, it isn’t the deep brown of Ennoshita’s eyes that are his favorite.

“Pfft, look who’s talking!” Ryuu replies. “Out of all the people in the world, I’m the lucky bastard that has Ennoshita Chikara in his bed.”

✺

“You’re ridiculous,” Chikara laughs lightly.

The accusation is at himself, too.

He’s ridiculous for leaving his cushy reporter job on a whim to be a band photographer. Ridiculous for hesitating to kiss a gorgeous rockstar. Ridiculous for falling for the equally ridiculous man asking him, “So, uh... you still wanna do that kissing thing?”

✺

“I do,” Ennoshita whispers, brushing his thumb over Ryuu’s bottom lip.

Ennoshita leans in till their noses touch, and the wisp of breath from the slivered part in his lips teases Ryuu’s lips.

✺

Chikara musters a lifetime’s worth of courage to finally close the distance.

Tanaka’s lips are soft. As soft as his content sigh, as soft his hand’s caress in Chikara’s hair, as soft as his kiss that reminds Chikara of...

...fireworks.

✺

Firework after firework, kiss after kiss, they’re lost in the shining flares of euphoria.

Their quiet sighs are as resounding as a firework’s pop. Their fingertips exploring each other are like blossoms of cascading stars. Every kiss leaves behind a smoky haze of bliss.

They start slow.

One kiss as gentle as their touch. A pause without breaking away, lips never parting from each other.

Then another kiss.

A dash quicker, a dash harder.

Then again. And again.

And again, again, again. More, more, more, lips parting, hands roaming, gasps catching in the air before they burst into endless more kisses, a grand spectacle to light up the sky.

✺

Ryuu pulls away to catch his breath. Or to give his heart a break before it pounds out of his chest. He’s not sure which, really, not sure of anything besides how sweet Ennoshita looks blushing at him, watching him with a dreamy gaze and swollen lips that are all his fault.

Ryuu brushes a strand of hair behind Ennoshita’s ear, and notices for the first time that they’re not in the same positions as before. Nothing like before - Ennoshita’s above him, Ryuu’s other hand is under Ennoshita’s shirt to rest on his back, and their legs are intertwined.

He also notices that he’s too tired to get embarrassed, yawning obnoxiously instead.

Ennoshita opens his mouth, clearly equipped with some remark about manners at the ready, but he covers his mouth before his own yawn replies for him instead.

“Sleep here,” Ryuu says, wrapping his arms around Ennoshita’s back. “I don’t wanna let go of you yet.”

Ennoshita gives him a final sleepy smile before leaning down against him, hiding his face into Ryuu’s neck, his steady breath tickling Ryuu’s collarbone.

Ryuu drifts to sleep, dreaming about fireworks.


End file.
